WORSHIP SERVICES

All services include singing, shared and individual prayers, and other ways in which we worship God as part of the Beloved Community. Sycamore has 10 bilingual services in both Japanese and English each year, which are often attended by Preschool families and families in the community.

INTERFAITH MEDITATION

Thursdays at 6:00 pm for 45 minutes (conducted in English)

We explore a variety of Christian and Zen Buddhist meditation and mindfulness techniques together as spiritual companions. What we have found after two years of meeting, is that the most important thing people are seeking is the shared experience of silence. The format is simple:

Two back-to-back silent intervals of 15-20 minutes each, with a few moments of sharing at the beginning and ending of our gathering. During the silence, participants focus on their individual practice, which may be zen koans, Christian centering prayer, breath counting, etc. A cardinal rule we follow, borrowed from Rev. David Parks-Ramage, is “you can’t do it wrong”.

This is a joint ministry of Sycamore Congregational and Mira Vista UCC churches. The primary leaders are Rev. Kevin Omi and Rev. Dr. Melinda McLain.

OTHER SUNDAY ACTIVITIES

Our Women’ Fellowship sometimes meets on Sunday or Monday. Its activities include beautiful arts and crafts, that often have a Japanese aesthetic. Check the Women’s Fellowship page for more information and Calendar of Events for updates.